Quote Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays View Post
It's nice to have the clarity of thought on this such that all doubt is removed.

For my part I don't know enough about Danish politics to understand its domestic and international political motivations is being the first country in the EU to pause use of the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

I certainly don't understand the political rationale of Sweden, which has skin in the Astra Zeneca game and no reported cases of clotting or platelet reducing side effects, deciding it is politically expedient to reduce confidence in the vaccine one of its companies has developed. Nor do I understand what the political drivers for the non-EU countries of Norway and Iceland are in following their lead.

There is certainly a politically dimension of the largest member states of Germany, France, Italy and Spain so publicly been seen to consult and act in concert with each other, though other than to create a pretext for their own inability to vaccinate their populations it is difficult to understand the wider political rationale.

In any event this has been a political crisis from the off. Decisions on when and where to start lockdowns, how to source materials and manage testing, how and when to control borders have all been political decisions. And that is perfectly right and proper as it should be politicians that are held accountable for their actions by their own people.
My earlier comments related to EU member states. Sweden is a bit different in that the Swedish equivalent of the EMA has banned its use until the findings of the EMA investigation into blood clots are concluded. The EMA has not banned it, rather saying that they believe it safe but will investigate further.

If any link between the drug and blood clots is proven I predict the EMA will urge caution in certain groups but not ban it. It is too valuable in the fight against Covid. To date of course the group receiving AZ vaccine have been of the ages that are more prone to blood clots anyhow.